The DirectX 8 / 8a bug

[Uncle Ahl]

MS forgot to turn off debug mode for DirectSound
in DX8 resulting in crashes and much disc access.

Turning it off has been reported to work wonders
for a lot of players, and games actually staring.

Source of info, tool and how to do it:
The DirectX 8 / 8a bug (http://www.gameclubcentral.com/news/archived_news.asp?Mode=ViewItem&NewsID=490)

[hyte1]

Nice!

[Guest]

Please let me know in this thread if that bug fix helps any of you out. Very curious how it affects the MP problems occuring.

[Uncle Ahl]

Hey Smaug! Your here too. images/icons/smile.gif

I mailed the same info to Talonsoft
for them to put on the Max Payne
Tech Faq. With ref to you, naturally.

[Guest]

Thanks bud images/icons/smile.gif

Yes, I keep seem to be finding you, hehehe. Did you see our Max Payne Review that I posted about in the MP general forum?

[ 09-06-2001: Message edited by: Smaug ]

[Uncle Ahl]

Well now I have images/icons/wink.gif
<a href="http://www.gameclubcentral.com/reviews/maxpaynereview.asp" target="_blank">
A very good review</a>

It's true one misses multiplay, but now and then
one do want to play great single games.

I do anyway. Most of the time you play online you wait for connections to work, wait for host to
start hosting. World Wide Wait. Compaired to the
big waiting how much actual playing time you do you get?

And when I've completed playing Max Payne I will
still be the owner of a true master piece.

[NutWrench]

Thanks, Uncle Ahl!

Lowering the DirectSound debug appears to have fixed the problems I was having with the demo. images/icons/smile.gif

--Nut

[Uncle Ahl]

Excellent!

It apperas to be a universal game problem solution.

I know fo a fact it has also solved problem for
Op Flashpoint players.

[NutWrench]

Darn! I spoke too soon. It's still happening.

What happens is, when I start the demo, the setup screen comes up with no problems. When I hit "Play", the screen clears and goes black and then the game hangs. No hard drive activity, nothing. The mouse pointer still moves but the computer is locked up. Ctrl+Alt+Delete doesn't do anything.

What's interesting is that if I run 3DMark2000 or 3DMark2001 briefly and then exit, I can then load and run Max Payne without any problems at all. I'm guessing that the 3DMark programs pre-load a library or something.

So basically if I run Max Payne first, I get a complete system lockup. If I pre-run one of the Max-FX based 3DMark demos, everythings fine. Weird.

I've got a PIII-600 and a Voodoo 3 3000, patched to the latest 1.07 drivers, Windows 98 SE.

--Nut

[Uncle Ahl]

Dánm. Theory down the drain!

[Joe Siegler]

Does it run if you turn off all the game sound in the Max launcher program?

[NutWrench]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Joe3DR:
Does it run if you turn off all the game sound in the Max launcher program?<hr></blockquote>

Yes. The game runs fine if I switch the sound off before I start it. If I exit the game and then restart it WITH sound, the game also works fine (Yay!). But if I start the game "cold" (right after powering up and booting Windows) then the game hangs.

I've got the latest DirectX and my sound drivers are dated 2/08 of this year and are certified (but they're Allegro drivers, though. I don't think it's a major brand).

--Nut